HVAC/R Applications Research Centre
The CAREL HVAC/R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) applications research centre is the heart of the company's Competence Centre in this field. It is the place where, over the years, CAREL has acquired its know-how in air-conditioning and refrigeration applications.
The research centre covers an area of around 600 m2 and deals with the conception, design and development of various types of cooling units and systems. The focus is on studying the technological innovations available on the market.
The equipment used can replicate the typical operating conditions of real applications (for example, a supermarket), so as to master the technology and apply it to our products.
CAREL can thus offer customers not only a series of control systems and solutions, but above all complete expertise in the specific applications.
Here are some examples.
- Showroom for retail applications (supermarkets) based on the HEOS platform . The installation is fitted with sophisticated valves for controlling and measuring water flow-rate, and energy meters for carrying out refined thermodynamic analysis. There are also automatic systems for remote management and intelligent control of lighting and electrical loads.
- Two 25 m2 climate chambers, featuring temperature and humidity control via refrigerant circuits with capacity modulation, humidifiers and reheating systems.
- Refrigeration installation based on the HECU platform. This also features measuring equipment for carrying out refined thermodynamic analysis, and remote management systems.
All the equipment is used for customer demos and tests on products and solutions. In addition, the centre also hosts internal training courses and carries out research projects on HVAC/R applications. The main projects carried out over the last 10 years have been focused on the most advanced refrigerant circuit control technology, aimed at bringing energy efficiency: electronic expansion valves (ExV line of valves) and their corresponding control systems (EVD line of drivers), and variable-speed compressors with permanent magnet motor technology, known as BLDC, centred around the platforms of programmable control solutions (pCO and c.pCO lines of controller) and inverters (PowerPlus line of drives).
The research centre is an integral part of our product development process. It is where technology is studied, contributing to the design and development of control solutions and their implementation in different applications. Specifically, it deals with the development of systems and units, as well as testing and demonstration, often involving the construction of dedicated units or exhibition spaces, at times transportable for use outside of the company. Examples include the units on show in our stands at the main trade exhibitions (Chillventa, Mostra Convegno, China Refrigeration, AHR Expo, etc.) or those available at our subsidiaries around the world.
The same methods are also used in real applications in the field, involving all the different players (manufacturers, installers, users, etc.) for the purpose of analysing the operation of complete installations, as if they were a big, working research centre.
The personnel employed at the research centre also provides sales support and after-sales service.
It is worth highlighting, finally, that within the CAREL Group similar areas are being set up in other locations, coordinated by the HVACR Applications Competence Centre. The first opened in Suzhou in November 2014, at a ceremony attended by a large number of customers, partners and local authorities, including the Italian consul in Shanghai.
